In the aftermath of this summer’s Legionnaires’ outbreak in Harlem that killed seven people and hospitalized 90, city lawmakers introduced new legislation that increases the number of times building owners are required to test their cooling towers, the main spreaders of the disease. But some public health experts say the sole focus on additional testing misses a need to enforce both maintenance requirements and the timing of the tests.
If the legislation passes, building owners will have to test for Legionella bacteria every 30 days, up from the current requirement of every 90 days, and every 14 days during heat-related emergencies.
But Abraham Cullom, director of water safety and management at Pace Analytical, said testing requirements that only mandate frequency leave open a loophole that building owners sometimes exploit in order to avoid bad results. He said cooling towers are often tested after they’re cleaned, which can generate a negative result that masks problematic towers that routinely develop dangerous levels of Legionella bacteria…